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2026/2027  KAN-CPSYO2601U  Strategizing and Leadership

English Title
Strategizing and Leadership

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Third Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for Organisation, Strategy, Leadership and People
Programme Master of Science in Business Administration and Psychology
Course coordinator
  • Nicole Ferry - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • Leadership
  • Strategy
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 16-06-2026

Relevant links
Learning objectives
  • Demonstrate understanding of strategy and leadership, and in particular the interpersonal and group processes involved in strategy and leadership in practice
  • Analyze how social, cultural, and political dynamics relate to strategizing and leading in team and organizational contexts.
  • Critically reflect on strategy and leadership, as well as their intersection, in theory and practice.
  • Demonstrate critically reflexive strategic and leadership skills when applying course concepts to realistic business scenarios.
Examination
Strategizing and Leadership:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Active participation

The completion of this course is based on active student participation in class. The course will be considered as passed if the students participation - based on an overall assessment - in the class activities fulfill the learning objectives of the course. The individual student’s participation is assessed by the teacher.
The student must participate in A combination of assignment and presentation, Assignment(s)
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Grading scale Pass / Fail
Examiner(s) Assessed solely by the teacher
Exam period Spring
Make-up exam/re-exam Oral exam
Duration: 15 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Preparation time: No preparation
Examiner(s): If it is an internal examination, there will be a second internal examiner at the re-exam. If it is an external examination, there will be an external examiner.
Description of activities
A combination of assignment and presentation: Students complete a group podcast episode in the form of a recorded group discussion. In the podcast, students critically reflect on their experiences in the course simulations and collaboratively analyze the application of course theories and concepts related to strategy-as-practice and leadership-as-practice.
Assignment(s): Students participate in five course simulations. During each simulation day, students complete three short individual written responses in Canvas during designated time windows.
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Practice-based approaches to understand both leadership and strategy are becoming increasingly widespread in management and organization studies. The practical perspective on strategy focuses on strategists and strategizing, rather than organizations and strategies; similarly, the practical perspective on leadership looks for leadership in the interpersonal processes that actually happen, rather than in the traits or behaviors of particular individuals. What strategy- and leadership-as-practice have in common is that they are less concerned with what (top) leaders think or do and more with what people accomplish together in the workplace. Both strategy and leadership are understood as social processes, and the focus is on the micro-level social activities, processes and practices, as well as the social, cultural, political and material contingencies that shape how strategy and leadership emerge and unfold through day-to-day experience. This course will zoom in on managerial activity, including how people in the workplace 'do strategy' and 'do leadership'. We will study social processes including but not limited to power and influence, group dynamics, social networks, intersubjective agency, shared sensemaking, trust, adaptive leadership, information sharing, communication and dialogue, negotiation, and co-construction of responsibilities and routines. Through simulations and role plays, we will experience (ethical) decision making, experimentation, learning by doing, crisis response, strategic interaction, global collaboration, teamwork, change-directed efforts, problem solving, and coping. We will reflect upon how strategy and leadership unfold in managerial situations where individuals face uncertainty and ambiguity, and need to work together to solve problems and achieve (common) goals.
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
Research-like activities
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
Description of the teaching methods
Several award-winning simulations will be deployed to achieve the learning objectives of the course. Combined with research articles and other readings, the in-class activities and lectures will serve as basis for individual critical reflexivity, which will then contribute to the continuous course tasks.
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback will be given by the teacher on an ongoing basis during the semester, as well as on the group project.

Student workload
Preparation 161 hours
Teaching 30 hours
Group Project 15 hours
Expected literature

Required materials

  • Several Harvard Business Publishing simulations (approx. 15-25 USD each)
  • Academic articles (posted on Canvas)

 

Further reading

  • Cunliffe, AL (2004). On becoming a critically reflexive practitioner. Journal of Management Education , 28(4), 407–426.
  • Golsorkhi, D., Rouleau, L., Seidl, D., & Vaara, E. (Eds.). (2015).  Cambridge handbook of strategy as practice  (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  • Raelin, JA (Ed.). (2016). Leadership-as-practice: Theory and application . Routledge.
Last updated on 16-06-2026